Rath Yatra: Thousands offer prayers at Gundicha Temple amid security

Thousands of devotees gathered at Gundicha Temple for the Rath Yatra, with police implementing extensive security. The temple premises were divided into eight sectors to manage the crowd and ensure an orderly darshan of the deities.

Thousands of devotees gathered at the Gundicha Temple in Puri on Sunday to offer prayers on the fourth day of the nine-day Rath Yatra festival, as authorities put in place elaborate security and crowd management measures to ensure a smooth darshan.

Lord Jagannath, along with Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and the Sudarshan Chakra, is currently at the Gundicha Temple, where devotees have been arriving in large numbers for darshan.

Elaborate Security and Crowd Management

Speaking about the arrangements, Central Range Inspector General of Police (IGP) Satyajit Naik said that security personnel have been deployed across the temple premises to manage the heavy rush of devotees. "Lord Jagannath, along with Balabhadra, Subhadra, and the Sudarshan Chakra, is currently granting darshan within the Mandap... Devotees are proceeding with an orderly darshan. We have made comprehensive arrangements, both inside and outside the temple, including traffic management. Inside the temple, the premises have been divided into eight sectors, with officers of Commandant rank overseeing duties across day and night shifts."

The IGP further said that police personnel have been assigned specific responsibilities to maintain discipline and ensure the smooth movement of devotees within the temple premises. "Personnel are assisting by maintaining discipline, preventing reverse flow or queue-jumping, and managing barricades. We have deployed police personnel to facilitate a smooth darshan experience, ensuring devotees maintain proper conduct and move in an orderly queue. Outside the temple, barricades have been set up, ensuring a clear separation between entry and exit routes," the IGP added.

2026 Rath Yatra Conducted Smoothly

Meanwhile, the 2026 Rath Yatra went smoothly despite continuous rain and adverse weather conditions. According to the Odisha CMO release, around 8 to 9 lakh devotees from Odisha, across the country and abroad participated in the world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Chakra Raj Sudarshan. All rituals associated with the festival, including the pulling of the chariots, were completed as per schedule.

Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Gobardhan Peeth also visited the chariots and offered prayers to the deities. The state government said elaborate arrangements had been made in advance involving the Police, Health, Fire Services, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Transport, Municipal Administration, Public Health, Energy and other departments.

The release added that round-the-clock monitoring, deployment of security personnel, CCTV surveillance, public announcement systems, traffic management, sanitation, drinking water facilities and emergency medical services were put in place for devotees. The annual Rath Yatra remains one of India's largest religious congregations, symbolising faith, devotion and inclusivity as millions of devotees gather to pull the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra in a centuries-old tradition celebrated across India and beyond.

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